


it's nice to have a friend

by imposterhuman



Series: lover [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst, Based on a Taylor Swift Song, Childhood Friends, Developing Relationship, Fluff, Friendship, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Kid Steve Rogers, Kid Tony Stark, M/M, Steve Needs a Hug, Steve Rogers Feels, Tony Has Issues, Tony Needs a Hug, Tony has a heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-22
Updated: 2019-09-22
Packaged: 2020-10-25 19:03:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20729222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imposterhuman/pseuds/imposterhuman
Summary: “Tony!” Steve called as soon as the school bell rang, his nose and cheeks pink with the chill in the air. “Wait up!”Tony paused, hefting his backpack on his shoulders. It was heavy with textbooks; Howard had finally convinced the school to let him sit in on the high school classes instead of his own third grade ones. “Hey, Steve,” he greeted as soon as his friend got close.Howard had pushed Tony to skip grades, to do something with his genius brain, but Tony didn’t want to. Steve was the reason why, really. Tony didn’t want to give up his only friend just to move up a couple of levels. He was happy to spend recess with Steve, even if they didn’t have classes together anymore.“Are you coming over?” asked Steve. He rubbed his hands together to keep them warm. “Ma made apple pie.”





	it's nice to have a friend

**Author's Note:**

> writers block is Kicking My Ass,,,, i meant to get this out last week and it just didnt end up working out so rip i guess
> 
> chronologically, this is first in the series. next i plan to do either i forgot that you existed, which would be steves pov of this general time era, or jump ahead to college and do london boy so well see! if you have a preference lmk
> 
> hope you like it!

“Tony!” Steve called as soon as the school bell rang, his nose and cheeks pink with the chill in the air. “Wait up!”

Tony paused, hefting his backpack on his shoulders. It was heavy with textbooks; Howard had finally convinced the school to let him sit in on the high school classes instead of his own third grade ones. “Hey, Steve,” he greeted as soon as his friend got close.

Howard had pushed Tony to skip grades, to do something with his genius brain, but Tony didn’t want to. Steve was the reason why, really. Tony didn’t want to give up his only friend just to move up a couple of levels. He was happy to spend recess with Steve, even if they didn’t have classes together anymore.

“Are you coming over?” asked Steve. He rubbed his hands together to keep them warm. “Ma made apple pie.”

Tony frowned. “Where are your gloves?” he demanded, already peeling his off. He channeled his best Jarvis look to scold his friend, who had a tendency to catch colds. “You’re gonna get sick, Steve.”

“I’m fine,” Steve rolled his eyes. “The more important thing here is the apple pie, Tony. If you don’t come over, I’m gonna eat it all, then I’ll  _ really  _ get sick.”

“Put these on,” Tony handed Steve his gloves. “Do you have ice cream?”

“Of course we do, we aren’t heathens,” the smaller boy passed the gloves back. “Your hands will be cold.”

“Okay, then,” Tony thought for a moment, then took only one and slid it on his right hand. “Put that one on your left hand, then we’ll both stay warm.”

Steve caught on immediately, linking their ungloved hands and practically dragging Tony down the street. “Now that you’re done fussing,” he scowled. “I’m  _ starving _ . Walk faster.”

“Be civilized!” Tony shot back, using Jarvis’s posh accent to sound more sophisticated. 

“Do you want pie or not?”

Their shrieking laughter echoed in the street when they took off in a dead run, hand in hand.

\---

“Don’t you have a curfew?” Steve asked disapprovingly. But he still stepped away from his door to let Tony in.

Even at twelve, Tony knew that his father didn’t really care where he was, as long as he got his work done by their due dates and kept out of the way. Tony spent most of his nights out of the house, especially when it smelled too much like scotch and metal. It was safer to stay away on those days. Tony had learned that the hard way. 

On days like that, Tony always made his way to Steve. The other boy just made him feel safe, and that was what he needed right then.

“You know I don’t,” he answered, rubbing his eyes tiredly and wincing when he hit the tender bruise by accident. “Shit.”

“Language,” Steve said absently, already getting an ice pack. “What happened?”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Tony said, avoiding Steve’s eyes. He could never lie to his friend, but it wasn’t like he could tell the truth, either.

Steve shrugged. “Okay,” he agreed, passing Tony the bag of frozen peas. “Wanna go up to the roof?”

Tony wanted to hug his best friend, but he restrained himself. “Sounds good,” he said, voice even and not watery at all. Stark men were made of iron.

“Come on,” Steve said, grabbing his hand to drag him up the stairs. He didn’t let go even as they crawled out the window, his hand a warm weight in Tony’s own. Tony couldn’t help but smile as he followed Steve to their perch, laying down on the roof next to his best friend. The shingles of the roof were cold at their backs, but he couldn’t care less.

The setting sun painted the sky pink and the clouds looked like candy floss. The light was golden where it played off of the planes of Steve’s slender face and bony hand still gripping Tony’s. If Tony could have lived in that moment forever, he would have.

But the sun was disappearing behind clouds and the light had already weakened.Tony tilted his head to the side to look at Steve, who looked right back at him, no judgement. 

“20 questions?” he offered. 

“Fine,” agreed Tony. 

Steve’s eyes were a piercing blue, and there was a little patch of green in them that Tony had never noticed before. “Tell the truth.”

He shifted his hand to link their pinkies gently. “Promise.”

\---

Tony wasn’t sure when he started to like Steve as more than a friend. Even when they had gone their separate ways, Steve onto the football field as the golden boy and Tony under the bleachers with a pack of cigarettes, looking at Steve still filled Tony with some undefinable emotion. 

They hadn’t spoken in a year, beyond basic pleasantries and small talk. Tony missed Steve, not that he’d ever admit it. He’d driven the other boy away with acidic words and sharp glares; it wasn’t like he could take it back, no matter how much he wanted to. 

When high school had started and Steve had had his growth spurt, suddenly, everyone was all over him. It wasn’t cool anymore to hang out with the class bad boy, the arrogant asshole genius that no one  _ really  _ liked. Steve deserved to have more friends than just Tony, so Tony had done what he did best.

He drove Steve away, right into the arms of the football team and the cheerleaders and the it crowd. 

Steve looked happier than ever, even if there was something heavy in his gaze when it accidentally landed on Tony. They ran in separate circles, anyway. It wasn’t like there were a lot of opportunities for their eyes to meet, a deliberate move on Tony’s part.

It had been nice to have a friend while it lasted, but he was doing just fine on his own. Really, he was.

But then Steve had transferred into Tony’s math class. Their seats were arranged in alphabetical order; Stark, Tony, was right next to Rogers, Steve. Tony could see every worksheet, ever test score, they sat that close. 

And Steve? Steve was absolutely horrible at math.

Tony didn’t mean to do it. He felt like an idiot, face on fire, hands awkwardly tangling in his lap. He was ready to bolt,  _ wanted  _ to bolt, but his lizard brain was too consumed with speaking to Steve for the first time in a year to actually listen to his rational brain.

“I can help you,” he blurted out, apropos of nothing. Steve’s homework sheet was more red pen than pencil; it was clear he wasn’t going to do well on the test if he kept up that pattern. “I can tutor you, I mean. In math. Um-”

“Okay, Tony,” Steve said kindly. His voice was deeper, but just as warm. He smiled at Tony like he was genuinely happy to see him. “Does today work? I have practice for an hour, but I’m free after that.”

Tony’s heart stuttered to a stop. Well, he had dug his grave. It was time to lie in it. “Sounds good,” he said, already regretting opening his mouth. “I’ll meet you at the library. Bring your textbook.”

Steve nodded, packing up his things as the bell rang. “See you then, Tones.”

“Yeah,” said Tony faintly. He was absolutely screwed. “See you then.”

**Author's Note:**

> comments and kudos make me happy :))
> 
> yell at me on tumblr [@imposter-human](https://imposter-human.tumblr.com/)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [take me home (forever and ever)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25420192) by [lilshacc](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilshacc/pseuds/lilshacc)


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